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List of best-selling Christmas singles in the United States facts for kids

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This page is all about the best-selling Christmas songs in the United States. It lists popular holiday tunes from artists all over the world, but only counts how many copies they sold in the United States.

Did you know that "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby is super famous? The Guinness Book of World Records says it's the top-selling Christmas song ever in the U.S. It's also the best-selling song of all time, with over 50 million copies sold worldwide!

For a long time, before March 1, 1991, the only way to know how many songs were sold in the U.S. was through the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). They tracked how many records were sent to stores.

But since March 1, 1991, a system called Nielsen SoundScan has been used. This system tracks sales more accurately when a song is bought in a store or downloaded online. Digital music downloads started being tracked in 2003.

As of November 25, 2016, the holiday song with the most digital downloads is "All I Want for Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey. It came out in 1994 and has sold about 3.2 million digital copies!

Top Christmas Songs by Digital Sales

This section lists the top ten best-selling Christmas songs in the United States based on digital sales. This information comes from Nielsen Company's SoundScan data, updated on November 25, 2016. Nielsen SoundScan started tracking digital downloads in June 2003.

Most Downloaded Christmas Singles

Rank Title Artist Released Label Digital downloads
1 "All I Want for Christmas Is You" Carey, MariahMariah Carey 1994 Columbia 3,200,000
2 "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" Bell, KristenKristen Bell, Agatha Lee Monn & Katie Lopez 2013 Walt Disney 1,600,000
3 "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24" Trans-Siberian Orchestra 1996 Lava 1,300,000
4 "Mistletoe" Bieber, JustinJustin Bieber 2011 Island 1,100,000
5 "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" Lee, BrendaBrenda Lee 1958 Decca 1,000,000
6 "Where Are You Christmas?" Hill, FaithFaith Hill 2000 Interscope 977,000
7 "Christmas Canon" Trans-Siberian Orchestra 1998 Lava 918,000
8 "Feliz Navidad" Feliciano, JoséJosé Feliciano 1970 RCA 808,000
9 "Jingle Bell Rock" Helms, BobbyBobby Helms 1957 Decca 780,000
10 "Last Christmas" Wham! 1984 Columbia 751,000

Top Christmas Songs by RIAA Awards

This part of the list shows best-selling Christmas songs in the United States based on awards from the RIAA. The RIAA gives out awards like Gold and Platinum based on how many copies a song has sold. This list includes older songs from before digital tracking began.

Digital Song Awards

Year of release Title Artist Label Award Date of Award
1994 "All I Want for Christmas Is You" Carey, MariahMariah Carey Columbia 14× Platinum 2023-12-08
1958 "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" Lee, BrendaBrenda Lee Decca 5× Platinum 2023-11-03
2014 "Santa Tell Me" Grande, ArianaAriana Grande Republic 4× Platinum 2024-01-09
2013 "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" Bell, KristenKristen Bell, Agatha Lee Monn & Katie Lopez Walt Disney 4× Platinum 2023-03-17
2011 "Mistletoe" Bieber, JustinJustin Bieber Island 3× Platinum 2021-01-11
1963 "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" Love, DarleneDarlene Love Legacy 3× Platinum 2023-04-07
1963 "Sleigh Ride" The Ronettes Legacy 3× Platinum 2023-04-07
1984 "Last Christmas" , Wham!Wham! Columbia 2× Platinum 2019-12-12
2019 "Like It's Christmas" Jonas Brothers Republic Platinum 2023-01-25
2018 "Cozy Little Christmas" Perry, KatyKaty Perry Capitol Platinum 2022-01-27
2018 "What Christmas Means to Me" Legend, JohnJohn Legend (Featuring Stevie Wonder) Columbia Platinum 2022-03-22
2017 "A Ghetto Christmas Carol" XXXTentacion Bad Vibes Forever Platinum 2023-05-02
2017 "Snowman" Sia Atlantic Platinum 2022-10-27
2017 "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" Stefani, GwenGwen Stefani (Featuring Blake Shelton) Interscope Platinum 2023-12-04
2016 "Hallelujah" Pentatonix RCA Platinum 2018-02-09
2014 "Mary, Did You Know" Pentatonix RCA Platinum 2018-02-09
2007 "This Christmas" Brown, ChrisChris Brown RCA Platinum 2021-10-01
1994 "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" Carey, MariahMariah Carey Columbia Platinum 2022-03-27
1994 "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing/Gloria (In Excelsis Deo)" Carey, MariahMariah Carey Columbia Platinum 2023-12-08
1994 "O Holy Night" Carey, MariahMariah Carey Columbia Platinum 2023-12-08
1965 "Christmas Time Is Here" Guaraldi Trio, VinceVince Guaraldi Trio Fantasy Platinum 2019-01-31
1963 "Winter Wonderland" Love, DarleneDarlene Love Legacy Platinum 2023-04-07
1958 "Run Rudolph Run" Berry, ChuckChuck Berry Geffen Platinum 2020-11-18
2020 "Take Me Home for Christmas" Dan + Shay Warner Music Nashville Gold 2022-02-03
2019 "Do You Hear What I Hear?" , PentatonixPentatonix Featuring Whitney Houston RCA Gold 2023-01-27
2018 "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" Legend, JohnJohn Legend Columbia Gold 2023-02-14
2017 "Candy Cane Lane" Sia Atlantic Gold 2023-11-15
2017 "Santa's Coming for Us" Sia Atlantic Gold 2023-11-15
2015 "Noel" Tomlin, ChrisChris Tomlin (with Lauren Daigle) sixstepsrecords/Sparrow Gold 2024-03-07
2014 "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" Smith, SamSam Smith Capitol Gold 2020-02-11
2011 "All I Want for Christmas Is You (SuperFestive!)" Bieber, JustinJustin Bieber with Mariah Carey Island Gold 2020-06-25
2011 "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" Bieber, JustinJustin Bieber featuring Usher Def Jam Gold 2024-01-10
2011 "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" Bieber, JustinJustin Bieber Def Jam Gold 2023-12-12
2010 "Shake Up Christmas" Train Columbia Gold 2024-02-26
2000 "The Christmas Shoes" NewSong Benson/Reunion Gold 2020-07-31
2000 "My Only Wish (This Year)" Spears, BritneyBritney Spears Jive Gold 2023-10-24
1996 "Chanukah Song" Sandler, AdamAdam Sandler Warner Bros. Gold 2009-10-05
1996 "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24" Savatage/Trans-Siberian Orchestra Lava Gold 2009-12-14
1994 "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" Carey, MariahMariah Carey Columbia Gold 2022-03-27
1982 "Hard Candy Christmas" Parton, DollyDolly Parton RCA Gold 2022-10-21
1973 "Step into Christmas John, EltonElton John MCA Gold 2021-09-27
1965 "Linus and Lucy" Guaraldi Trio, VinceVince Guaraldi Trio Fantasy Gold 2019-05-10
1963 "Frosty the Snowman" The Ronettes Legacy Gold 2023-04-07

Physical Song Awards

The Christmas song with the highest RIAA award for a physical single is "Blue Christmas" by Elvis Presley. It was released in 1964 and has been certified Platinum.

Year of release Title
(A-side/B-side)
Artist(s) Label Award Date of Award
1965 "Blue Christmas"/
"Santa Claus Is Back in Town"
Presley, ElvisElvis Presley RCA Victor Platinum 1999-07-15
1989 "This One's for the Children"/
"Funky, Funky Xmas"
New Kids on the Block Columbia Gold 1990-01-09
1985 "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" Bruce Springsteen Columbia Gold 1992-05-05
1984 "Do They Know It's Christmas?"/
"Feed the World"
Band Aid Columbia Gold 1984-12-19
1984 "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" Elmo & Patsy Epic Gold 1989-12-27
1982 "Mickey's Christmas Carol" (no artist listed) Disneyland/Vista Gold 1989-05-11
1977 "A Charlie Brown Christmas"
(Story and Song)
(no artist listed) Buena Vista Gold 1994-03-25
1977 "Frosty the Snow Man"
(Story and Song)
(no artist listed) Disneyland/Vista Gold 1994-03-25
1976 "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"
(Story and Song)
(no artist listed) Disneyland/Vista Gold 1994-03-25
1970 "The Night Before Christmas"
(Story and Song)
(no artist listed) Disneyland Gold 1994-03-25
1959 "Alvin's Harmonica"/
"Mediocre" (David Seville)
The Chipmunks Liberty Gold
1958 "The Chipmunk Song"/
"Almost Good" (David Seville)
The Chipmunks with the Music of David Seville Liberty Gold
1958 "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"/
"Papa Noël"
Lee, BrendaBrenda Lee Decca Gold
1957 "Jingle Bell Rock"/
"Captain Santa Claus (and His Reindeer Space Patrol)"
Bobby Helms Decca Gold
1955 "Nuttin' for Christmas"/
"Santa Claus Looks Just Like Daddy"
Mooney, ArtArt Mooney and His Orchestra
Vocal by Barry Gordon
MGM Gold
1952 "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"/
"Thumbelina"
Boyd, JimmyJimmy Boyd Columbia Gold
1950 "Frosty the Snow Man"/
"When Santa Claus Gets Your Letter"
Autry, GeneGene Autry and The Cass County Boys Columbia Gold
1949 "I Yust Go Nuts at Christmas"/
"Yingle Bells"
Yorgesson, YogiYogi Yorgesson Capitol Gold
1949 "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer"/
"If It Doesn't Snow on Christmas"
Autry, GeneGene Autry & The Pinafores Columbia Gold 1969-11-10
1948 "All I Want for Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth)"/
"Happy New Year"
Jones, SpikeSpike Jones and his City Slickers RCA Victor Gold
1948 "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm"/
"I'm A-Tellin' You, Sam"
Brown, LesLes Brown and his Orchestra Columbia Gold
1947 "Here Comes Santa Claus (Down Santa Claus Lane)"/
"An Old-Fashioned Christmas"
Autry, GeneGene Autry Columbia Gold
1946 "Christmas Island"/
"Winter Wonderland"
Andrews Sisters and Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians Decca Gold
1946 "The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)"/
"In the Cool of Evening"
The King Cole Trio Capitol Gold
1944 "White Christmas"/
"If You Are But a Dream"
Sinatra, FrankFrank Sinatra Columbia Gold
1943 "I'll Be Home for Christmas (If Only in My Dreams)"/
"Danny Boy"
Crosby, BingBing Crosby Decca Gold
1943 "Jingle Bells"/
"Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town"
Crosby, BingBing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters Decca Gold
1942 "White Christmas"/
"Let's Start the New Year Right"
Crosby, BingBing Crosby Decca Gold
1942 "White Christmas"/
"Abraham"
Martin, FreddyFreddy Martin and his Orchestra Victor Gold
1935 "Silent Night"/
"Adeste Fideles (O Come, All Ye Faithful)"
Crosby, BingBing Crosby Decca Gold

See also

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